Mindfulness to Enhance Athletic Performance: Theoretical Considerations and Possible Impact Mechanisms

Abstract

Top athletes face various challenges in their career on and off the sports field. Sport psychologists teach techniques to help athletes to cope with these challenges. Over the last 30 years, the techniques used stem mainly from psychological skills training (PST), which is influenced mainly from cognitive-behavioral theories. Recently, interest in mindfulness-based interventions has increased in sport psychology. This article identifies the limits of PST and presents theoretical considerations how mindfulnessbased interventions can amend PST. Further, it addresses in what form and by what mechanisms athletes could benefit.In reviewing current mindfulness literature, we conclude that it is important to distinguish between mindfulness practice and dispositional mindfulness. Mindfulness practice means the methods through which mindfulness is fostered, whereas dispositional mindfulness describes the tendency to be mindful in everyday life. In our conceptualization, we differ between three interwoven facets of mindfulness practice (intention, attention, and attitude), which are associated with six components of dispositional mindfulness. We consider that athletes with a higher degree in mindfulness practice and dispositional mindfulness will enhance the level of several required psychological skills through various impact mechanisms. Based on theoretical considerations, we suggest bare attention, experiential acceptance, values clarifications, self-regulation/ negative emotion regulation, clarity about one's internal life, exposure, flexibility, non-attachment, and rumination as possible impact mechanisms. A greater knowledge of the conceptualization of mindfulness and its impact on psychological skills could develop and improve the effectiveness of mindfulness based interventions in sports.

The Sport Mental Training Questionnaire: Development and Validation

“…First, some conceptual problems with the measurement of components of mental training emerged. The results of Study 1 confirmed some of the problems identified by other authors (Birrer et al 2012;Vealey 2007), i.e., the distinction between mental skills and mental techniques. Second, SMTQ can fall short for some more sophisticated research questions or practical applications.…”

“…In line with these objectives, we focused on creating a brief questionnaire targeting mental training that could be used in the sport field. Additionally, we followed theoretical suggestion that mental training questionnaires should account for distinctions between skills and techniques (Birrer et al 2012;Vealey 2007). Our questionnaire development process followed a recommendation that testing the reliability and validity of measures should be based on four stages (Netemeyer et al 2003).…”

“…Furthermore, there are conceptual inconsistencies within the literature regarding the meaning of mental skills and mental techniques that are often used interchangeably (Hardy et al 2010). However, theorists suggest that these terms refer to two groups of mental training elements (Birrer et al 2012;Vealey 2007). A mental skill is the learned capacity or ability to carry out a specific training task (goal), e.g., attentional focus or coping with stress.…”

How Different Types of Meditation Can Enhance Athletic Performance Depending on the Specific Sport Skills

“…The inevitable pressure felt by athletes to enhance performance and to always be Bking of the mountain^aggravates pre-competition anxiety and everyday anxiety (Terry and Slade 1995). Via (a) present-centered attention and (b) acceptance of experience, mindfulness meditation has been found to be effective in achieving optimal athletic performance through decreasing the level of anxiety, ruminative thinking, and enhancing the experience of flow (see Birrer et al 2012 andPineau et al 2014, for a review). The key element of mindfulness is indeed the nonjudgmental focus of one's attention on the experience that takes place in the here and now (Kabat-Zinn 1994).…”

Allvarliga idrottsskador hos svenska manliga akademifotbollsspelare

“…De beskrives som mennesker med høy bevissthet omkring alle stimuli, men opplever samtidig faerre distraksjoner og reagerer mindre reaktivt i møte med følelser (Bishop et al, 2004;Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007). Siden dette også er ønskelige egenskaper i idrettssammenheng for å bedre prestasjonene og redusere de negative konsekvensene av stress, har det å vaere mindful blitt sett på som et fordelaktig trekk (Birrer, Rôthlin, & Morgan, 2012). Studier på normalbefolkningen viser at å vaere mindful innebaerer økt sensitivitet til relevant informasjon, mindre sårbarhet for distraksjoner og mer effektiv oppgaveløsning (Tang, Holzel, & Posner, 2015).…”